Patents by Inventor Ulrike Gruening

Ulrike Gruening has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7601995
    Abstract: A memory includes an array of memory cells, each memory cell including resistive material, a first insulation material laterally surrounding the resistive material of each memory cell, and a heat spreader between the memory cells to thermally isolate each memory cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Thomas Happ, Ulrike Gruening-von Schwerin, Jan Boris Philipp
  • Publication number: 20090236658
    Abstract: An array of vertical trigate transistors and method of production are disclosed. One embodiment provides an array of selection transistors for selecting one of a plurality of memory cells. A selection transistor is a vertical trigate transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2008
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Applicant: QIMONDA AG
    Inventor: Ulrike Gruening-von Schwerin
  • Patent number: 7569878
    Abstract: A DRAM memory cell array is fabricated such that, for each memory cell of the array, the gate electrode is initially produced such that it is insulated from all the other gate electrodes assigned to a certain word line, and is only connected to the other gate electrodes assigned to the corresponding word line via the word line in a subsequent step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Rolf Weis, Ulrike Gruening Von Schwerin
  • Publication number: 20090190388
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a resistive storage device is provided. The method generally comprises providing an electrode structure stack comprising a first electrode and an electrode structure mask arranged at the first electrode, forming a support structure at least partly at the electrode structure mask, removing the electrode structure mask to leave a storage region window in the support structure, and forming a resistive storage region in the storage region window at the first electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2008
    Publication date: July 30, 2009
    Inventors: Rainer Bruchhaus, Ulrike Gruening Von Schwerin
  • Patent number: 7539039
    Abstract: An integrated circuit, a memory cell, memory device and method of operating the memory device is disclosed. In one embodiment, an integrated circuit having a resistively switching memory cell includes a bitline electrode and a second electrode having a lower voltage potential than the bitline electrode; a switching active volume and a selection transistor connected in series between the bitline electrode and the second electrode. The second electrode is connected, via a connection transistor, to a third electrode having the same or a lower voltage potential than the second electrode; wherein the second electrode includes a buried electrode at least partially positioned below the bitline electrode and the third electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Qimonda AG
    Inventors: Ulrike Gruening-von Schwerin, Till Schloesser
  • Publication number: 20090127586
    Abstract: An integrated circuit having memory cells and a method of manufacture is disclosed. One embodiment provides a switching active volume and a selection transistor coupled in series between a first electrode and a second electrode. The selection transistor is a vertical transistor for at least partially guiding a substantially vertical current flow. The second electrode includes a buried diffused ground plate formed in a substrate. A metal-containing region at least partially contacting the buried diffused ground plate is provided, the metal-containing region at least extending below the selection transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2007
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Applicant: QIMONDA AG
    Inventor: Ulrike Gruening-von Schwerin
  • Patent number: 7495946
    Abstract: A memory includes transistors in rows and columns providing an array and conductive lines in columns across the array. The memory includes phase change elements contacting the conductive lines and self-aligned to the conductive lines. Each phase change element is coupled to one side of a source-drain path of a transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Ulrike Gruening-von Schwerin, Thomas Happ
  • Publication number: 20080303013
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a contact, a first spacer, and a first electrode including a first portion and a second portion. The second portion contacts the contact and is defined by the first spacer. The integrated circuit includes a second electrode and resistivity changing material between the second electrode and the first portion of the first electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2007
    Publication date: December 11, 2008
    Inventors: Thomas Happ, Jan Boris Philipp, Ulrike Gruening-von Schwerin
  • Patent number: 7463507
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a memory device, and to a memory device with a plurality of memory cells (1) which each have at least one switching device (13) assigned thereto for controlling, as well as a current supply line and a current discharge line (11, 12), wherein said current supply line (11) and said current discharge line (12) are substantially parallel to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Inventors: Ulrike Gruening-Von Schwerin, Thomas Happ
  • Patent number: 7452821
    Abstract: A method is disclosed by means of which contact holes (K1), (K2) and (K3), leading to integrated components can be produced with just one structuring mask, whereby contact holes (K1) and (K3) lead to contact regions (25e, 45e) in the substrate (5) and contact holes (K2) lead to contact regions (35c, 50c) located on layer stacks (35, 50). An auxiliary layer is used for the etching of contact holes (K1), (K2), (K3), which covers a part of the contact holes and thus serves as a selection mask. The auxiliary layer can be structured with a low-resolution lithography in comparison with the mask, such that only one single high-resolution lithography is necessary for the formation of all contact holes (K1), (K2), (K3). The method is particularly suitable for the simultaneous production of contact holes for transistors in the cell field and the logic field of a DRAM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Ulrike Gruening-Von Schwerin, Wolfgang Gustin, Klaus-Dieter Morhard
  • Publication number: 20080253160
    Abstract: An integrated circuit having a memory cell array and a method of forming an integrated circuit is disclosed. One embodiment provides bitlines running along a first direction, wordlines running along a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, active areas and bitline contacts. The bitline contacts are arranged in columns extending in the second direction and in rows extending in the first direction. A distance between neighboring bitlines is DL, and a distance between neighboring bitline contacts is DC, DC being measured parallel to the first direction. The following relation holds: 1/2.25?DL/DC?1/1.75.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2007
    Publication date: October 16, 2008
    Applicant: QIMONDA AG
    Inventors: Martin Popp, Till Schloesser, Ulrike Gruening-von Schwerin, Rolf Weis
  • Publication number: 20080217672
    Abstract: An integrated circuit having a memory arrangement including capacitor elements and further capacitor elements is disclosed. One embodiment provides a substrate layer with contact pads and further contact pads; the capacitor elements being disposed in a first level on the substrate layer and connected with the contact pads; the further capacitor elements being disposed in a second level above the first level; contact elements being disposed between the capacitor elements and connected with the further contact pads; the further capacitor elements being disposed above the contact elements and being connected with the contact elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2007
    Publication date: September 11, 2008
    Applicant: QIMONDA AG
    Inventors: Martin Popp, Ulrike Gruening-von Schwerin, Till Schloesser, Peter Lahnor, Rolf Weis, Odo Wunnicke
  • Publication number: 20080205118
    Abstract: An integrated circuit, a memory cell, memory device and method of operating the memory device is disclosed. In one embodiment, an integrated circuit having a resistively switching memory cell includes a bitline electrode and a second electrode having a lower voltage potential than the bitline electrode; a switching active volume and a selection transistor connected in series between the bitline electrode and the second electrode. The second electrode is connected, via a connection transistor, to a third electrode having the same or a lower voltage potential than the second electrode; wherein the second electrode includes a buried electrode at least partially positioned below the bitline electrode and the third electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: Qimonda AG
    Inventors: Ulrike Gruening-von Schwerin, Till Schloesser
  • Publication number: 20080203469
    Abstract: An integrated circuit including an array of memory cells having dual gate transistors with curved current flow, and method for operation and fabrication is disclosed. In one embodiment, in a substrate an array of transistors is formed for selecting one of a plurality of memory cells by selecting a pair of adjacent word lines and a bit line. For minimizing the area of a memory cell and reducing complexity in production an array of dual gate transistors having a curved current flow is disclosed, wherein a small portion of a current is allowed to flow through adjacent memory cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2007
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: QIMONDA AG
    Inventor: Ulrike Gruening-von Schwerin
  • Publication number: 20080182378
    Abstract: A method of forming an integrated circuit having a capacitor is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes forming a capacitor element with a first electrode, a dielectric layer and a second electrode. The capacitor element is formed using a support layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2007
    Publication date: July 31, 2008
    Applicant: QIMONDA AG
    Inventors: Ulrike Gruening-von Schwerin, Rolf Weis, Wolfgang Henke, Odo Wunnicke, Till Schloesser, Florian Schnabel, Wolfgang Mueller
  • Publication number: 20080142778
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes transistors in rows and columns providing an array, conductive lines in columns across the array, and resistivity changing material elements contacting the conductive lines and self-aligned to the conductive lines. The integrated circuit includes electrodes contacting the resistivity changing material elements, each electrode self-aligned to a conductive line and coupled to one side of a source-drain path of a transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2008
    Publication date: June 19, 2008
    Applicant: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
    Inventors: Ulrike Gruening-von Schwerin, Thomas Happ
  • Publication number: 20080099814
    Abstract: An array of vertical transistor cells formed in a substrate for selecting one of a plurality of memory cells by selecting a word line and a bit line is disclosed. In one embodiment, for minimizing the area of a cell and reducing complexity in production a plurality of parallel insulating trenches filled with an insulating material and a plurality of perpendicular gate electrode trenches is formed, the gate electrode trenches filled with a suitable gate electrode material disrupted by the insulating material thus forming separate gate electrodes arranged below the reference plane. The insulating trenches and the gate electrode trenches form distinct active areas of transistors in the substrate, wherein two gate electrodes located at opposing sidewalls of an active area form a double gate electrode of a transistor, and wherein a plurality of gate electrodes is coupled to a word line running perpendicular to the gate electrode trenches and above the reference plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2006
    Publication date: May 1, 2008
    Applicant: QIMONDA AG
    Inventors: Ulrike Gruening-von Schwerin, Till Schloesser
  • Patent number: 7362608
    Abstract: A memory includes transistors in rows and columns providing an array, first conductive lines in columns across the array, and second conductive lines encapsulated by dielectric material in rows across the array. Each second conductive line is coupled to one side of the source-drain path of the transistors in each row. The memory includes phase change elements between the second conductive lines and contacting the first conductive lines and self-aligned to the first conductive lines. Each phase change element is coupled to the other side of the source-drain path of a transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Ulrike Gruening-von Schwerin, Thomas Happ
  • Patent number: 7359226
    Abstract: A substrate forming an array of vertical transistor cells for selecting one of a plurality of memory cells and wherein each memory cell couples a transistor to a bit line via a memory element and is addressable by selecting two word lines and a bit line is disclosed. For minimizing the area of a cell and reducing complexity in production, one word line trench takes one word line, wherein in a first embodiment a first word line in a first word line trench forms a plurality of gate electrodes on one sidewall of active areas of a first and a second, adjacent row of transistor cells in word line direction, and wherein a second word line in an adjacent word line trench forms a plurality of gate electrodes on the opposite sidewall of active areas of the second and of a third row of transistor cells in wordline direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: Qimonda AG
    Inventor: Ulrike Gruening-von Schwerin
  • Publication number: 20080049486
    Abstract: A substrate forming an array of vertical transistor cells for selecting one of a plurality of memory cells and wherein each memory cell couples a transistor to a bit line via a memory element and is addressable by selecting two word lines and a bit line is disclosed. For minimizing the area of a cell and reducing complexity in production, one word line trench takes one word line, wherein in a first embodiment a first word line in a first word line trench forms a plurality of gate electrodes on one sidewall of active areas of a first and a second, adjacent row of transistor cells in word line direction, and wherein a second word line in an adjacent word line trench forms a plurality of gate electrodes on the opposite sidewall of active areas of the second and of a third row of transistor cells in wordline direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2006
    Publication date: February 28, 2008
    Applicant: QIMONDA AG
    Inventor: Ulrike Gruening-von Schwerin